Borderline Personality Treatment
Borderline Personality Disorder
What is it like living with borderline personality disorder (BPD)? Reddit user BethHarpBTC said, “Some days, I feel everything at once. Other days, I feel nothing at all. I don’t know what’s worse, drowning beneath the waves, or dying from the thirst.”
What is Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a serious mental health concern that affects the way people feel about themselves and others. People living with BPD have a difficult time managing their emotions effectively, which affects their everyday functioning. They develop a pattern of intense, unstable relationships. Someone with BPD is also impulsive and sees themselves in an unhealthy manner.
Impulsiveness. The impulsiveness in this case means they have extreme emotions. They do things without thinking them through first.
Fear of Abandonment. Someone with BPD has a strong fear of being left alone or abandoned. They want a loving, long-term relationship, but their fear of being abandoned leads to mood swings and angry outbursts. They also behave impulsively and are at risk for self-injury. These behaviors are likely to push partners away rather than hold onto them.
Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder
In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), there are nine symptoms associated with BPD. Only five symptoms must be present to make a diagnosis:
- Intense, rapidly shifting moods
- Intense/inappropriate/repressed anger
- Unstable self-image/low self-esteem
- Chronic feelings of loneliness or emptiness
- Fear of abandonment (real or imagined)
- Pattern of unstable relationships
Categories
BPD Facts and Statistics
- BPD affects 1.6 percent of US adults (approximately 14 million Americans or the population of the state of Pennsylvania) during their lifetime.
- It affects 50 percent more people than Alzheimer’s disease.
- 20 percent of patients admitted to adult psychiatric hospital facilities are diagnosed with BPD.
- BPD affects 10 percent of people in outpatient mental health treatment programs.
Causes of Borderline Personality Disorder
Researchers aren’t clear about the specific causes of BPD. Their work indicates that genetics, environmental factors, and brain factors might be involved.
Genetics
Borderline personality disorder is five times more likely to occur if someone has a close family member with the disorder. A close family member is a birth parent, full-blood sibling, or a child.
Brain Factors
Research has shown that people with BPD have differences in the functional and structural areas of the brain, especially in the areas that control emotional regulation and impulses. More studies need to be conducted to discover the relationship between the brain and borderline personality disorder.
Environmental Factors
Many people living with BPD report experiencing abuse, trauma, or abandonment. They may also describe themselves as being a sensitive child in a non-supportive environment.
Canyon Vista Recovery Center Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder
Two types of psychotherapy offered by Canyon Vista Recovery Center have been effective for treating BPD.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) works by making clients aware of their thoughts, particularly their negative ones. Under a therapist’s guidance, the client learns to examine their negative beliefs and thoughts and replace them with positive ones. Over time, as the client changes their thoughts, their behavior will change too.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy. It takes the idea of challenging negative thoughts and adds other elements: mindfulness, acceptance, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills. Clients participate in private sessions with a therapist and in a course-like setting, where they learn tools for coping with difficult situations.
The four core DBT skills are:
Mindfulness
Clients learn how to be more aware of their thoughts and emotions. They learn how to observe themselves without judgment. This skill is the foundation of DBT.
Emotional Regulation
Managing emotions is a crucial part of DBT. Clients can learn to adjust the volume of their emotions so not all their feelings need to be expressed at an “11 volume.” They can create positive emotions at a lower volume that feel good to themselves and others.
Distress Tolerance
This element of DBT teaches clients strategies for dealing with difficult situations and coping with emotional pain. Clients become more confident and resilient as a result.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
DBT clients gain the skills required to manage their personal relationships by clearly asking for what they want and saying “No” to what they don’t want. Interpersonal effectiveness also covers how to make friends and manage conflict.
Our treatment center is unique in that we offer help and treatment to clients with substance use disorders as well as those who do not have a history of substance abuse. People living with borderline personality disorder who have been self-medicating with drugs and alcohol can find caring, compassionate help at Canyon Vista.
We can help put you or a loved one back on the road to a life of sobriety.
Clients who don’t have a history of substance abuse can get the help they need to address their emotional issues at Canyon Vista. Our kind, considerate team is ready to provide care for those living with borderline personality disorder, regardless of their personal history.
Get Help for Borderline Personality Disorder Today
Borderline personality disorder is a type of mental illness that someone must cope with for life, but treatment can help manage its symptoms.
Canyon Vista Recovery Center is dedicated to helping individuals overcome addiction and mental health disorders to build healthier, happier lives. With a personalized, compassionate approach, clients are empowered to take control of their recovery and embrace the possibilities of a brighter future.
